John,

Abortion is the epitome of the sick mentality that drives eugenics. No group of people has fallen victim to this more than disabled unborn children.

Countless are the stories of parents of disabled children being told that they need an abortion.

When Jennifer received a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18, many thought her child should be aborted.

"This means she had an extra 18th chromosome and a very dismal chance of life," Jennifer explained. "I guess it would have been considered a 'medically acceptable' abortion."

But Jennifer knew better...and vowed to love her daughter whatever the future might hold.

"God blessed us and let us meet our beautiful baby girl, Bernadette," Jennifer said. "We spent 108 days loving her until God called her home."

Jennifer now joins the Sheboygan, Wisconsin 40 Days for Life vigil to celebrate her daughter's short life.

"On short notice, we had people join us for a prayer walk in her memory--and would like to make it an annual event," Jennifer said.

Nairobi, Kenya

When Linet found herself pregnant during her final year at university, her friends urged her to have an abortion.

"My mind was made up," Linet said. "I was going to have an abortion."

Then her boyfriend stepped in.

"He made me understand that life is given by God," Linet continued. "I kept my pregnancy, gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, graduated, and immediately got a job."

As the leader of a 40 Days for Life campaign in Nairobi, Linet is using her brush with abortion to empower other abortion-minded moms to choose life.

"I use my story to encourage them on the importance of life and how pregnancy doesn't have to affect one's education," she said.

"I did my prayers and gave a talk to teachers and students, concentrating on the girls who were pregnant."

Throughout the campaign, Linet has continued to do outreach to college students and in the slums of Nairobi.

Port St. Lucie, Florida

Vigil participants in Port St. Lucie said they've had numerous positive encounters with passersby:

• A patient at a nearby doctor's office learned that the practice pays rent to Planned Parenthood...and is considering finding a new physician
  
  
• A woman who had never heard of 40 Days for Life saw the vigil, parked her car, and joined volunteers praying on the sidewalk
  
  
• Another woman stopped--in the rain--to thank a sidewalk counselor for her lifesaving efforts

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

—Luke 1:41-44

Jesus, open my eyes to your presence in the life of every child. Open my heart to joy in the birth of every child, a birth that reflects the joy of your own birth in Bethlehem. As you shared life in the womb of Mary, so now send your protection upon every child still in the womb, and grant to their mothers the strength and joy that comes from welcoming the gift of life.

See today's full devotional

For life,

Shawn Carney
President/CEO, 40 Days for Life